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Foundation of Library and Information Science

Notes without any charge for the service. These bibliographies are usually short and selective.
Occasionally extensive and exhaustive bibliographies are also compiled in collaboration
with other institutions. List of translations and list of bibliographies published in India
are compiled and sent to the UNESCO for inclusion in the INDEX TRANSLATIONUM.

Notes The Indian National Bibliography, a monthly record of Indian Books, is compiled
and published by the Central Reference Library (located in the premises of the National
Library) on the basis of publications received by the National Library under the Delivery
of Books and Newspapers (Public Libraries) Act. Reference service is offered to persons
who visit the library in person as well as to those who make enquiries through telephone
or post. This service ranges from identifying a publication for a reader to answering fact
finding questions or handling complex questions of subject oriented or technical nature,
involving prolonged search through a number of documents and occasionally consultation
with experts.

Reprography Service: With the installation of Plain Paper Copiers at the main and other
reading rooms, facilities are provided for obtaining copies of journal articles, small technical
reports, etc., at nominal rates to scholars and research workers. An in-house printing unit
is operating for printing small documents for limited circulation.

9.3.2 Library of Congress (LC)

The Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. which is at present considered as the national library
of the United States of America, was originally created to serve the U.S. Congress. It was
established in 1800 with a small collection, but grew steadily. By the Copyright Law of 1870; the
Library acquired the status of a depository library, getting the privilege of free delivery of two
copies of printed books, charts; dramatic or musical compositions, engravings, prints or
photographs, etc. Today the Library ranks as one of the largest national libraries of its kind and
occupies an eminent place in the world of scholarship and learning. We give below a few
glimpses of this great Library. An idea of the size, magnitude and range of LC’s collection and
services can be had from the following facts:

LC is the largest centre for information storage in the world, having 20 million volumes,
books representing only one-fourth of its collection; the other 59 millions of stored data are
on sound records, motion picture reels, and computer tapes or in the form of manuscripts,
maps, prints and photographs. Less than one-fourth of its collection is in English;

It operates with a staff of about 4800, comprising professional librarians, highly trained
personnel such as musicians, lawyers, chemists, computer specialists, scientists and
technologists, braille specialists, etc.

It is housed in three enormous buildings with three different architectural styles; covers a
total area of over 71 acres; 3,000 readers can sit at a time in its several reading rooms; and

It offers services to a variety of specialist groups such as Congressmen, legal community,
scholars and academicians, performing artists, blind and handicapped, library and
information community.

Ten million pieces of material are handled every year, twenty seven thousand every day.

168 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY